Teens and the New Religious Landscape: Essays on Contemporary Young Adult Fiction - Paperback

by Jacob Stratman (Editor)

How are teenagers' religious experiences shown in today's young adult literature? How do authors use religious texts and beliefs to add depth to characters, settings and plots? How does YA fiction place itself in the larger conversation regarding religion? Modern YA fiction does not shy away from the dilemmas and anxieties teenagers face today. While many stories end with the protagonist in a state of flux if not despair, some authors choose redemption or reconciliation. This collection of new essays explores these issues and more, with a focus on stories in which characters respond to a new (often shifting) religious landscape, in both realistic and fantastic worlds.

Front Jacket

How are teenagers' religious experiences shown in today's young adult literature? How do authors use religious texts and beliefs to add depth to characters, settings and plots? How does YA fiction place itself in the larger conversation regarding religion?

Modern YA fiction does not shy away from the dilemmas and anxieties teenagers face today. While many stories end with the protagonist in a state of flux if not despair, some authors choose redemption or reconciliation.

This collection of new essays explores these issues and more, with a focus on stories in which characters respond to a new (often shifting) religious landscape, in both realistic and fantastic worlds.

Author Biography

Jacob Stratman is an associate professor of English and chair of the Humanities and Social Sciences Division at John Brown University. He has published articles in SIGNAL, English Journal, Christianity and Literature and Literature and Belief and lives in Siloam Springs, Arkansas.